Weddings, by their very nature, could be considered works of art. Cinematic films are, too. Marion’s White Oak Wedding Films puts the two together will remarkable results.
Owner Luke O’Neill first discovered the perfect pairing as a cinema and photography student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale almost ten years ago. It was during his studies that he began filming weddings.
“You know, as a broke college student looking for extra work on the weekends, weddings were a great way to use some of the skills I was gaining in school,” O’Neill said.
After graduation, his weekend wedding work led him to join a New Orleans-based company that focused on filming weddings full-time.
“We were doing weddings in the French Quarter and as part of a very interesting wedding culture. It was really cool to be around,” he said.
Following a brief stay in Colorado where O’Neill was part of commercial photography, videography and still more wedding work, the Marion native returned to Southern Illinois in 2018.
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“I’ve been doing weddings here ever since,” he said.
O’Neill, who also owns a Marion media and production company called Union Street Arts, said there is a real difference between having a wedding filmed by professionals and having friends capture the ceremony on their cell phones.
“There’s obviously a level of professionalism. If you go with someone like White Oak, you know there is a certain quality that you can expect,” he explained. “Along with that comes accountability and reliability.”
For weddings, White Oak brings not only professionalism, but professionals. O’Neill works with other cinema graduates who are part of his team. With a team approach, the final product is better.
“We have multiple camera angles and we use several professional microphones, so we offer complete coverage of the event and we also add a flare of cinematography to give ‘Hollywood-looking’ images,” he said.
The company also can include drone capabilities to showcase the beauty of the venue and the region. Once the initial photography is completed, O’Neill gives clients full post-production efforts including video and sound editing, color correction and more. One result is a “highlight film,” perfect for sharing with friends or on social media.
“The highlight films are where we put together a montage of all the live events during the day in a cinematic sequence where we showcase everything from getting ready through the ceremony and to the reception,” he said.
O’Neill said the company also offers a full wedding film: a 60-minute documentary-style production. Every wedding film is different, he explained.
“We learn a lot in our consultation process with our couples. We discover people are looking for so we can deliver that,” he said.
He explained that “wedding season” – months like June and October – are especially busy for the company and for that reason, he said he is looking to expand.
“We want to add more people to the wedding team through the SIU cinema program,” he said.
O’Neill stressed the professionalism White Oak Wedding Films brings to each ceremony.
“We work closely with not only the wedding party, but with other photographers hired for the wedding … We have great relationships with a lot of photographers and we make sure that we are all on the same team and trying to make the day as successful as we can,” he said.
He added the ultimate goal is not just to have a video of the wedding, but to have a film that couples will want to watch again and again.
“Our films will let them relive those moments,” he said.
Final products are delivered to couples in a digital format or can be prepared on a DVD. They also come with one other feature that benefits the environment.
“We also have a tree program,” O’Neill said. “We are big into giving back and promoting sustainability in our region, so we plant a tree – usually a white oak – for each of our films. It’s who we are.”
